Nope you do not. All you need to do is get a breaker bar/large torque wrench down to the belt tensioner to pivot it counter clock-wise. There should be plenty of room for this both above and below the engine. I know for sure its easy to access from below. If you do need to end up taking it off its easy as hell so it shouldn't be much of a hassle. Why do you need to remove the belt? Is it worn?

If you are having a hard time visualizing this let me know I can post pictures. I'm pretty sure our pulley setups should be the same but they could be different. I have an 03.

OK so I just went and took a quick look. I definitely forgot to envision my intercooler reservoir getting in the way haha. I also think it might be a clock-wise pivot instead of counter. Before I take my car to the body shop tomorrow i'll get the easiest way figured out and take some pics. It might have to involved using a smaller ratchet and some grown man effort to go from the top.

Please see the attached photo. Take a regular size 3/8ths inch wratchet wrench and insert it into the tensioner with the wrench handle at the 1-2 O' clock position exactly the way it is in the photo. Take your right arm in between the upper coolant hose and the alternator and grab the wrench. I was easily able to pivot the tensioner clockwise with my right arm and lift the belt off the pulleys with my left.

In retrospect it might have been easier if I used a 3" extension but thats all about whether or not it pushes the wratchet wrench out too far towards the coolant hose or not. Either way it was really easy to do it exactly as described.

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